The present invention involves polyhedron-shaped disposable containers made of flexible weldable plastic film designed to fit rigid wall outer containers such as quadrilateral-based or cylindrically shaped bins, drums, tanks, totes, hoppers that can have elongated polygonal-shaped projections on their top, bottom or side views as to accommodate their use in specific pharmaceutical liquid handling and processing applications.
A degree or approximation of fit of a disposable container towards an inner contour of a polyhedron shaped bin, drum, tank, tote, hopper that can have elongated polygonal-shaped projections on its top, bottom or sides views, is dependent on the flexural properties of the plastic film used to make such disposable container. It further depends on the shape, surface area and circumference of the rigid wall outer container. It also depends on the chosen number and shapes of the polygon faces that together form the polyhedral surface of the disposable container designed to fit the rigid wall outer container.
Gusseted disposable containers are typically used to fit square and rectangular shaped bins or tanks and sometimes to fit cylindrically shaped drums or tanks. A gusset is formed when an integrally connected film ply edge is folded inward to form folds along that edge. Various gusseted film plies can then be sealed to other film plies to form individual gusseted disposable containers. Upon filling of the gusseted disposable container, the gusset unfolds to reveal, as the case may be, side, top and bottom faces of said disposable container having the same measure as the width of the folds.
A common processing problem encountered in the manufacturing of gusseted disposable containers is ensuring that the depth and alignment of gusset folds, with respect to each other and all film plies is maintained after the gusset has been introduced into the film ply until the sealing of the film ply into individual disposable containers. The misalignment of gusseted film plies can lead to stress points at its weld edges. These stress points can than lead to fatigue cracking of the disposable container during routine use resulting in leakage points.
Another common processing problem encountered with disposable containers that are manufactured using gusseted film plies is the formation of leakage points along the edge welds at the innermost point of the inward fold of the gusset of the disposable container due to incomplete heat sealing.
A common limitation encountered with disposable containers that are manufactured using gusseted film plies is that usually no weldments are possible at or near the center or centroid position of the top, bottom or side faces, as the case may be, of the disposable container due to interference of edge welds in the film plies.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a ungusseted disposable container and a manufacturing process for said disposable containers without the use of gusseted film plies to minimize leakage points along its edge welds. In addition there exists a need for disposable containers which can have weldments at or near the center or centroid position of their top, bottom or side face, as the case may be, to facilitate their use as disposable mixers and disposable bioreactors.